SBIS Newsletter 28 May
Emily's Message
As we reach the mid-point of this term, I continue to be so impressed by the way our students are applying themselves to their learning and showing genuine care for one another. Their enthusiasm, curiosity, and kindness are a joy to witness each day.
It was especially heartwarming to hear recently from a parent who shared how our older students have been supporting younger students in the playground and around the school. This kind of leadership and compassion is one of the things that makes our school such a special place to be.
I’m also very pleased to share that I will be continuing as Principal through to the end of Term 3. I’m excited for the months ahead and look forward to continuing to work alongside our wonderful students, staff, and families.
Celebrating Student Success
A huge congratulations to Dimitra, who recently won the P–2 category in a statewide Japanese poster competition! This is a wonderful accomplishment, and we are so proud of her creativity and effort. It was a pleasure to present Dimitra with her certificate in front of the whole school—what a special moment for her and our community!
Thank you for supporting our Fundraising Efforts
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our amazing School Association for their outstanding work at the recent bake sale. Thanks to your dedication and the generosity of our school community, we raised an incredible $1000. What a fantastic achievement!
In addition to the bake sale, we are also grateful for the School Association’s recent donations of sandpit toys and beach explore equipment. These new resources have been a big hit with our students, who are thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to play, explore, and learn in new and exciting ways.
Updates on our school Improvement Priorities
Priority One - Improved literacy outcomes
As a school we continue to implement the UFLI Foundations Literacy Program. All teaching staff have now attended a full day of professional development. I would like to thank staff for their commitment to the implementation of this program. Our Literacy Information Session has been rescheduled for next Tuesday, we look forward to seeing you there and sharing our practices with you.
Priority 2 - Wellbeing for learning
This term our staff Professional Learning Community (PLC) will focus on developing and documenting an agreed wellbeing framework for the school. Positive and respectful behaviour is critical for student engagement and wellbeing and encourages learning and attainment. One of our key actions this term will be to map a scope and sequence for the explicit teaching of Social and Emotional learning. The scope and sequence will focus on emotional wellbeing, social wellbeing and connection and belonging. Alongside this work we will also be updating the school wellbeing framework and positive behaviour support plan to align with our school values and the DECYP behaviour management policy and procedures.
Priority 3 - All learners engaged, challenged and learning successfully
The statewide school Moderation Day is next Friday 6 June, this day is a student free day. Sandy Bay Infant School will be moderating with Taroona, Lansdowne Crescent and Goulburn Street. Moderating student work samples with colleagues from other schools fosters diverse perspectives, enhances assessment accuracy, and promotes professional growth through collaborative learning. This year we will be moderating Maths work samples. In Week 9 of this term, staff will share evidences of learning across multiple curriculum areas. Our Prep – Year 2 classes will share samples from English, Maths, and either HASS or Science; Kindergarten will share evidences aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework. Our specialist teachers will also be sharing evidences of learning this term. We are seeking feedback from families regarding how you like to hear about the ways that we support all students to do their best. If you would like to provide your insight, please take the time to complete the survey below or come and see me to share your ideas.
Communicating Learning with Families
Warm Regards,
Emily
Kindergarten
Name Games
I wonder if you can tell what we were looking for when you look at the photos of us playing our name game?
Can you find someone whose name starts with the same letter as yours?
How many letters are in your name?
Can you find someone with the same number of letters as yours?
Do you notice anything else that is the same or different?
Playing games with our names gives us the opportunity to notice things about words and letters. It may seem simple but the Kinder’s LOVE this game. They get excited when they realise that their friend has some of the same letters as them. It invites talk about letter sounds and letter names. Talking and learning about concepts of print and bringing awareness to the letters in !our names compliments all of the amazing phonics learning we have been doing in Kinder.
Parent Teacher Conversations - Kindergarten
A reminder that bookings for parent teacher conversations for kindergarten close tomorrow, Thursday 29 May. Meetings are being held from the 2 - 4 June 2025. Please click on the link below to schedule a time if you haven't yet made a booking.
Preps
The Prep classes are excitedly investigating this place where we live. We’ve looked at the world globe, at Australia and our island state Tasmania. We’ve been discussing where the special places are that we spend our time as part of our inquiry into connection to place. After a discussion together where we wondered about what the special features and land marks of our city were, we headed to the beach to have a closer look at the sights. We sat on the sand and noticed the Casino, kunanyi/Mount Wellington, the River Derwent and in the distance, but not very obvious that day, was the Tasman Bridge.
Back at school we had a closer look on Google Maps and added Salamanca Place and also our Antarctic ship, the Nuyina, to our list. We are now planning our next steps in our inquiry and look forward to sharing this with you later in the term. Stay tuned!
Year 1
Science as an Inquiry
At school, we dive into science every day, making it a fun and integral part of our learning. 🌟
Science in Daily Life: We use science all the time! From baking cakes to predicting the weather, our students are always observing, experimenting, and learning. They see chemical reactions through making crystals and make weather predictions just like meteorologists.
Asking Questions and Making Predictions: Curiosity is key! Our students constantly ask questions and make predictions. They explore what is a mealworms favourite habitat or how different plants grow in our school garden.
Safe Procedures and Observations: Safety is a priority! Our students follow safe procedures while observing and recording their findings, using tools like magnifying glasses and thermometers and safety goggles when cracking open rocks to find fossils.
Sorting and Representing Data: We love organising data! With tables and organisers, students sort and order information, representing patterns and trends. They will be tracking plant growth in term 3 and visualise information in charts.
Comparing Observations and Predictions: Guided by teachers, students compare their observations with predictions, leading to more questions and discoveries. This helps them understand the world better. If anyone has someone in their family with knowledge of Geology, please let us know as we have an amazing rock which has some interesting features, we don’t know the answers for.
Communicating Findings: Using everyday vocabulary, students confidently share their observations and ideas through drawings, presentations, and explanations as you saw in their Inquiry books
Our classes curiosity and enthusiasm are truly inspiring!
Year 2
Last term, Year Two went on an excursion to Town Hall and we met the Mayor Anna Reynolds. She took us on a tour where she wouldn’t normally take tours. First she took us to her office and we got to ask a few questions. Ella got to write in the visitor’s book. Then she took us to the ballroom and we saw the massive organ pipes towering over us.
After that we had recess at Franklin Square.
– Written by Dimitra, edited for spelling by Megan
After recess we walked to TMAG to have a tour under the building with Josie’s mum, Eleanor. We then had a scavenger hunt in groups to find lots of different materials.
Then we had lunch on the Parliament Lawns. We got to play there, so we opened a shop to sell acorns.
We learnt a little bit about what the Parliament House is used for and then a politician named Vica Bayley told us some more.
– Written by Harry, edited for spelling by Megan
School Levies
School levies are now overdue. Thank you to our families who have made prompt payment.
Payment Options: Bpay, Service Tasmania, Eftpos, Credit card and over the phone (61656423)
Automated External Defibrillator
If you have visited our playground recently you would have noticed that we now have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) outside the Kindergarten room.
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device used to treat sudden cardiac arrest by detecting dangerous heart rhythms and delivering a safe electric shock to restore normal heart function.
When cardiac arrest happens, the heart suddenly stops beating, and blood stops flowing through the body. An AED can help restart the heart and restore blood flow.
AEDs are designed to be user-friendly, providing clear voice and visual instructions to guide users through the process, even if they have no medical training. Simply turning on the machine will start voice prompts telling you what to do.
The AED was installed as a part of Project Lifesaver – AED rollout to DECYP sites. The project is designed to ensure that these life-saving devices are more accessible.
This project demonstrates our departments' dedication to providing timely and effective emergency response capabilities across the state, ultimately saving lives and fostering a safer environment for everyone.
School Health Nurse
Our school health nurse, Lilli, has created a fantastic Health and Wellbeing Padlet filled with valuable information. Check it out using the link below!
2026 Kindergarten
Is your child born in 2021? if so, they are eligible for kindergarten in 2026.
Enrolments for in area students are now open. Please click on the link below to complete the kindergarten enquiry form.
Spare Clothing Donations Needed
We are kindly seeking donations of socks, underwear, and trackpants/leggings to help restock our spare clothing supplies. If you have any of these items in good condition that you no longer need, please drop them off at the office.
Additionally, if your child has borrowed any clothing items from the school, we kindly ask that you return the washed items as soon as possible.
Your support is greatly appreciated—thank you for helping us care for our students!
Tasmanian JackJumpers
Join the JackJumpers at their junior development programs in Kingston! As a thanks for their fun day at Sandy Bay Infant School, the JackJumpers are happy to share a discount code exclusively to your community. Use code “SANDYBAYINFANTS” when selecting tickets to receive a 10% discount to their Mini Ants program.
For ages 5 - 9, their Mini Ants program develops basketball fundamentals with lots of fun & games. Sign up here
Community News
Here are some tips and advice from the team at Trusted Smiles Dental Practice to help keep your children's smiles healthy and happy.
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